Why would anyone want to spend two weeks with no air conditioning at college after the school year ended? Though it wasn’t necessarily on the top of my bucket list either, I am so happy I did. The two weeks I spent at Fairfield University this June were easily my two favorite weeks I ever had at college. The opportunity started way back in January, when we had to apply to become a New Student Leader (NSL). At Fairfield, an NSL leads a group of freshmen through orientation, their first few days in the fall and then through the first semester, teaching a class to those freshmen they led at orientation. After the application, interviews followed then training in the spring semester and finally training in June.

Before these two weeks, college was just OK, nothing to brag about. Sure, I found some friends and the classes were fine, but I just wasn’t in love with it like everyone else. But I wanted to be an NSL to share my experiences with the freshmen and hopefully have a positive impact on their time at Fairfield. I had absolutely no idea going into these two weeks that my 72 fellow NSLs and my 43 students, split between two orientation sessions, would have such an impact on me. I felt so comfortable around them, my usually jokester-self, full of energy. For the first time at college, I felt like people knew who I was. When training started in June, I was immediately surprised by how friendly and inclusive all the NSLs were. I never met a group of people in my life so caring, dedicated, thoughtful, funny and wonderful. The NSLs were from all grades, but there didn’t seem like there was any kind of divide between us. We all got along so well, maybe because we had similar goals through being an NSL or maybe because we spent 24 hours a day together for two weeks.

Being an NSL taught me so much more about myself than I ever could have imagined. I learned that I can actually make a difference in someone’s life. Two other NSLs helped me lead our 43 students and our students’ reviews make me excited to come back in the fall. One student anonymously wrote: “Jordan, Annie, and James are the best group of NSLs!!!!! I had an amazing experience with them. They definitely helped me come out of my shell and expand my horizons.” It restored faith in me that I was chosen for this job for a reason.

But it wasn’t even the orientation sessions that made these two weeks the best of my life. It was training and hanging out with the other incredible NSLs. I can honestly say that I made 72 new friends through being an NSL. We’re already talking about dinners and barbecues for next year! We get a stipend at the end of orientation and someone who did the math said we make like 32 cents an hour. But honestly, I would have paid Fairfield my 32 cents an hour just to be able to have this experience. Though it’s taken over a year, I can finally say that I love Fairfield!